Third Avenue was opened Thursday after a five-month realignment and widening project that will allow traffic to enter from Broad and First streets.

Jordan Hughes, city engineer, said the Department of Transportation has completed striping the new pavement and putting in directional arrows and signage. For the first time, Third Avenue can now accommodate two-way traffic, he said.

Before the road was realigned with First Street it was only one-way traffic that did not allow motorist to turn onto Broad Street or cross the intersection to First Street. It was only an exit connecting Cedar Street with Broad Street.

Although Third Avenue is now open, DOT still has some work to do, Hughes said.

“If you are leaving Third Avenue, making a turn onto Neuse Boulevard, only right turns are currently permitted and there is signage in place to indicate this,” Hughes said in a press release. “The materials should be received by the end of October that will allow NCDOT to make the signal light modifications to permit all movements at this intersection. At that point, the temporary stop sign and right-turn only sign will be removed and the signal lights will be used for traffic direction.”

The realignment of Third Avenue will open up access to Cedar Street and the Five Points and Duffyfield communities. It was done through a $1 million Community Development Block Grant the city received in 2010 to acquire 22 dilapidated and abandoned houses that were demolished for the realignment and to rehabilitate houses and areas on the east side of the street.

Besides the demolition of the old houses, the city upgraded the 1950s water and sewer system to meet state standards.

Eddie Fitzgerald can be reached at 252-635-5675 or at eddie.fitzgerald@newbernsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @staffwriter3.